The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-15

Just tho question | was about TO ask
you, said ], having recovered myself
by this time.
do you como from Annabelp"
mot ]. como from Mrs. Browns"
What n bright, beautiful light sprang
into his face. 1t made him handsomer
than anyone | ever saw. He grasped
my hand eagerly.
"And are you not in her cmployp
You are not one of her toos?'
"Whosc-Mrs. Brown'spn
mo. no! Annabel Lampson'sp"
Il should think not l am Miss Alison
Burton, ut your service. And who are
-you?'
81 am Duke Frampton. if YOU please"
said he, bowling profoundly.
Good graciousr' cried |. "that can
not be! Duke is in his gravel
81 beg your pardon. Some one may
be in Dukes grave, but certainly not
Duke himself"
romance. You are the first dead man |
ever saw come TO life after he had been
dead year. l wonder if it will not
be best to have mutual explanations /
will set you the example. board at
Mrs. Browns opposite. am naturally
of very prying disposition. My land
lady told me what she knew of the
history of this house and its inhabitants,
and conceived strong desire to make
q visit here. The doors being inhos-
pitably closed | came in through eel
lar window, and here l am"
The young man laughed.
you are strange girl, but | do be-
lievc Heaven sent you here. And now
| will tell you why am here"
have not space to give his narrative
SO will briefly state the facts which he
told me.
Annabel Stanley had tried to win his
love. Failing in that she laid another
plan by which the property might be
hers. She enticed Duke to B, where
she was stopping with her husband, and
after that he knew no more until he
found himself in this prison chamber.
He had been drugged, and brought
there in the night Annabel confessed
it all to him; in fact, she rather took
pride in her adrotness. She told him
the cana'd OF his death and burial, of
the coffin which had contained sawdust
and bits of lead, OF the costly monu-
ment erected in his honor in his ances-
trail burying-ground.
This chamber had been used years
before for the confinement of an aunt of
Colonel Crompton's who was violently
insane, and it was so constructed that
no sound from it could ever pierce to
the outer world.
About once month Annabel
brought him food, which she passed in
piece by piece through slide in the
door, but he had never seen her face.
Why she did not murder him outright
Duke said he could not pcrceive-per-
haps she lacked the desperate courage
necessary TO do the deed.
Had he made no effort 10 csc ape? OF
course he had, but he might us well
have spared himself the trouble. The
walls of the chamber were solid mason
ry, and the door was iron. What could
he do with only his hands?
OF course he came away with me; but
we forced open side door instead
of going through the cellar window.
took him directly to Mrs. Browns,
and nearly frightened the good woman
into fits by awakening her and telling
her that Duke Frampton was down
stairs.
But after awhile l succeeded in calm
ing her, and bringing her to IN under
standing of the case, and then she
proved herself equal TO the omcrgcn-
cy.
In short time Duke was dressed in
suit of her dear dead and gone Eli
jah's clothes. which made him look
like patriarch Of the last century, and
two magistrates were listening to his
story.
And the next morning sheriff and
a couple of constables went to B to
arrest Mr.. and Mrs. Lampson; but in
some mysterious way they got wind of
the affair, for they sailed at daybreak
for America, leaving everything behind
them except what ready money they
had by them. Duke was rather glad of
their escape. 1t would have been an
unpleasant affair. he said-it was better
as it was.
And, moreover, he insisted upon it,
that he owed me such n debt of graft
tude for my part in his release that he
could only repay me by a lifetime of
devotion, and was just selfish enough
to take advantage of his generosity.
married him, and we live at No. 10
AS happy q couple as you can find
anywhere.